Carson Palmer article

[cincykent]

Here's Carson! Palmer ready to lead Bengals

June 1, 2004

By Pete Prisco

SportsLine.com Senior Writer

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Scout-team quarterbacks rarely get much reaction, if any at all. But it was common at Cincinnati Bengals practices last fall for players and coaches to shake their heads in disbelief at some of the throws being made by their scout-team passer.

"Guys would see him fire a pass and they'd look at each other and go, "Did you see that throw?'" said Bengals offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski. "That's the type of skills he has."

He, of course, is no ordinary scout-team quarterback, no I-hope-I-someday-take-a-snap quarterback.

He is Carson Palmer, the top overall pick in the 2003 draft out of Southern California, the player the Bengals think will finally put to rest those quarterback demons that have haunted the franchise since the Boomer Esiason days.

Carson Palmer already has the big arm and now he must work on commanding his teammates' respect.(Getty Images)

The scout-team stuff was busywork for Palmer on the way to becoming the franchise quarterback, just a season spent learning and watching as Jon Kitna kept the seat warm. He was named the starter earlier this year, subsiding all controversy talk.

Even Kitna, a class act by all standards, couldn't help but know last year it was only a matter of time before Palmer took over. Kitna, you see, was one of the many who marveled at the skills of his backup.

"He does stuff every day that we wish we could do," said Kitna last fall. "Me and Shane (Matthews) would just kind of grin at each other every time he made one of those big-time throws."

This year, the throws will count. All of them. From the practice tosses during these days of on-field workouts to the training camp grind, right up until he makes his first NFL start, this is Palmer's time.

Prep time is over.

"I tried to look at last year as a year to spend learning the offense, getting to know what it takes to be a success in this league," said Palmer. "It sucks sitting on the sidelines because I wanted to play, but I understood that it was Jon's time. I still prepared and studied every week as if I was going to play. Of course, I never did."

While fellow 2003 first-round quarterbacks Byron Leftwich, Kyle Boller and Rex Grossman got quality starts as rookies, Palmer did not throw one pass. There was no garbage time, no mop-up duty.

Kitna took every snap for the Bengals last year, relegating Palmer to what was essentially a redshirt season.

Leftwich, in a recent interview, raved about the chance to play as a rookie, saying, "It's a big difference knowing the offense and then going out there and seeing what works and what doesn't. I don't think there's anything that can replace playing."

Palmer will find that out in 2004. Coach Marvin Lewis made him the No. 1 quarterback in the spring, even though Kitna was still around.

Lewis pushed aside Kitna's impressive 2003 numbers, including 3,591 passing yards and 26 touchdowns, to go with the second-year player. It was only a matter of time before the move was made, but the swiftness of Lewis' decision surprised some.

There would be no training-camp competition, nothing to hinder Palmer's confidence.

"We would have had all of that speculation through the spring, summer and camp, and my mind had been made up for quite a while," Lewis said. "And so, our coaches knew, and it was just getting uncomfortable for everybody."

Palmer said he was in California driving when Lewis called him on his cell phone with the news he wanted to hear.

"He told me it was my time," Palmer said. "I said, "OK, let's go'."

Before the news went public, Palmer spoke with Kitna, who passed the torch without scalding his teammate.

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"I couldn't be talking to a better guy," said Palmer. "As you can tell, things like this can be sticky and touchy. But I couldn't have been placed in a situation with a classier guy. He told me he'd give me all the support I needed, and you could tell it was genuine. That's Jon."

When Palmer returned to work later in March, he did so with the pressure of being No. 1. It's one thing to have the title, but it's another to assume the leadership role that goes with it.

Top pick means little to teammates unless you can prove you can get it done. Inside, some had to be wondering if this was a pedigree move, a decision based on draft position.

For much of the past couple of months, Palmer has gone about trying to win over his teammates. Pretty, rope-like throws now must be accompanied by command in the huddle and respect in the locker room. It takes time to win over a locker room, though.

"To tell you the truth, I still feel like a rookie," said Palmer. "When you haven't taken even one snap, it takes time."

Said Bratkowski: "He's not one of those vocal-type leaders, but you can see that he's starting to get more assertive in the huddle. He'll tell a guy when he runs the wrong route or things like that. He needs to do that."

At 6-foot-4, 235 pounds, Palmer has the tools to become a great quarterback. But those tools, as the Bengals have found out with David Klingler and Akili Smith, don't always translate to success. NFL quarterback means far more than just having a big arm.

"Film work is the key to success," said Palmer. "I understand that."

So even though he spent his rookie season on the bench, he still took home film to watch and put in the extra time.

"You have to do the little things," he said.

It's the big things, though, that have the Bengals excited. His ability to throw the deep ball will help open up the offense. A year ago, Kitna didn't hit as many deep throws as the coaches wanted, sometimes coming up short to an open receiver.

Palmer's arm will change that.

"He's one of the best passers on the move and he's very accurate on the medium-range throws," said Bratkowski. "But his ability to throw the deep ball really will be a strength we play to with him."

With a skilled group of receivers in Chad Johnson, Peter Warrick and Kelly Washington, the Bengals might be hard to defend for most opponents. That is, if Cincinnati doesn't pull in the offense to help protect Palmer.

There is some thinking that Cincinnati will play more ball control with Rudi Johnson and Chris Perry to help take the pressure off Palmer, which is not something Palmer wants.

"I don't want them to change anything for me," he said. "As far as I can tell, we won't, either. If anything, we'll add some things in the passing game I think."

Bratkowski said getting the running game going remains a priority, but that would be the case even if Kitna were starting. But Palmer's inexperience could lead to more of Rudi Johnson early on.

"You do that with any quarterback, but maybe more so with a guy who will be starting for the first time," said Bratkowski.

If the Bengals are smart, they'll let their quarterback be free. The best way to learn is to play and understand that mistakes are part of the game. The growth of many of the game's best passers has come from on-the-field training, not practice throws and scout-team work.

Palmer will be no different, which is why he should be given a full load. Scale it back? That would be wrong.

If Palmer is ready to assume the role of starter, he should be ready to assume the entire offense. If he struggles, this might be looked at as a questionable move in October, but it was the right move to make at the time for Lewis. It allows Palmer the chance to become comfortable with the idea of being No. 1.

Now it's time for his teammates to start marveling at what he does to NFL defenses, not what he does on scout-team tapes.

"I'm ready for all of it," Palmer said. "The biggest adjustment will be playing 16 games. I've only played 12 in college, so that will be a change. But other than that, I'm ready to be the starter. I can't wait to get going."

[cincykent]

Here is the link

[The Brew Man]

Nice article, thanks for posting it....

[JPW]

Yea yet Another Great article.

I can't see now anybody can be a Bengals Fan and not be at least a little excited about this guy.

Play Offs in 04.....

[Tiger Stripes]

its goin to be a fun sesaon. im ready! :player: